Israel admits difficulty in launching hostage rescue operation in Gaza Strip

Israeli officials say it is unlikely that the country will launch a lightning raid and will need an agreement to safely rescue hostages in the Gaza Strip.

Gadi Eizenkot, a former lieutenant general who is now a minister in Israel's wartime cabinet, said on January 19 that the fate of hostages in the Gaza Strip should take priority over other operational objectives, even if this meant the IDF missed an opportunity to kill Hamas' political leader.

Asked whether the IDF could stage a lightning raid to rescue the hostages, similar to the one carried out by Israeli commandos in Uganda in Entebbe in 1976, Eizenkot admitted that this was unlikely. "The hostages were separated, mostly held underground, so the possibility of such an operation is extremely low," Eizenkot said.

"It is necessary to have the courage to admit that it is impossible to free and save the hostages in a short time without an agreement," Mr. Eizenkot said, criticizing "those who try to spread illusions to the public" about the Gaza hostage rescue operation.

Israeli soldiers and armored vehicles fight in the Gaza Strip on January 19. Photo: IDF

A temporary ceasefire in Gaza could be required as part of any potential deal, Eizenkot said, referring to a week-long ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in November 2023 that saw the release of more than 100 hostages. “The next ceasefire could be three or four times longer, but the operational objectives would still apply after that,” Eizenkot said.

Israeli officials said gunmen took more than 240 hostages in the attack in early October 2023. About 130 hostages remain in Gaza, of whom 112 are believed to be alive. The IDF recovered the bodies of eight hostages in the Gaza Strip and mistakenly shot three hostages in Gaza City in December 2023.

Israeli forces killed seven hijackers and 45 Ugandan soldiers, destroying dozens of Ugandan military aircraft. Yonatan Netanyahu, brother of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and commander of the rescue team, was killed in the operation, and five Israeli soldiers were wounded.

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( According to Reuters )

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